VietNamNetBridge – Vietnam possesses sufficient historical evidence and a legal basis to confirm its indisputable sovereignty and sovereignty rights over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, as well as Viet Nam ’s waters and continental shelf, Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung said on Nov. 27.

Replying to questions regarding the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC)’s announcement on Nov. 25 of a 30-billion USD project on oil and gas exploration and exploitation in deep-sea areas in the EastSea , spokesman Dung said that Vietnam pays attention to and is closely monitoring this news.

He said: “All activities conducted on Viet Nam ’s waters and continental shelf without its consent are violations of its sovereignty and national interest and completely valueless.”

He said Viet Nam would look to solve any dispute through peaceful negotiations on the basis of respect for international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the 1992 Manila Declaration on the East Sea, and the Declaration on the Code of Conduct between Parties in the East Sea signed by ASEAN members and China on November 4, 2002.

While actively promoting peaceful negotiations to seek basic and durable solutions to disputes, all involved parties should respect the status quo and refrain from actions that would further complicate the situation, he said.